Founded by Francesco Bonajuto in 1880. We begin with a mass of semi-ground cocoa that still contains its cocoa butter. The mass is heated to make it fluid, and at a precise temperature, it is mixed with castor sugar and spices (cinnamon or vanilla). The mixing is done with a "refiner", a modern-day replacement of the metate.
The mixture is kept at a temperature that prevents the sugar crystals from melting (they remain an integral part of the chocolate bar). The final phase consists of spreading the mixture into forms, which will then be pounded to ensure that the chocolate takes the desired shape.
This particular "cold working" of the chocolate excludes the phase of conching, which many think is the secret to keeping flavours alive that would otherwise disappear. The strength of this particular product is the simplicity of the technique and the fact that there is no addition of butter or other extraneous substances (vegetable fats, milk derivatives or lecithin).
Bonajuto's chocolate is composed only of a mixture of cocoa, sugar and spices.
Italy (Modica)
bean-to-bar 
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